Tanya's Secret
by Shadow of Silence
Summary: I have no idea where this came from. Tell me if I should continue! :)
1. Death Follows

Tanya wandered aimlessly throughout the forest. She picked wildflowers happily and began to braid them into a crown. Smiling to herself, Tanya watched the sun rise. Golden tendrils of light bounced through the canopy of branches that created a protective roof of life overhead. Finishing her crown of blue flowers, Tanya placed it gingerly onto her head. The flowers brought out her green eyes with amazing brilliance and looked like a halo of ice in her wavy auburn hair. A golden ring shone on her finger and a chain of rare gems encircled her neck. She began humming bits and pieces of well-known songs to herself as silver mist began to rise off a nearby pond. Anyone watching her would have been lead to believe that Tanya was happy, but Tanya kept a dark and dangerous secret. A secret that she kept from the rest of the world. A secret that only one other living being knew about. And Tanya lived in fear. For that 'thing' wanted her dead.  
  
Swift and silent as approaching night, a solitary figure crept after Tanya. Keeping only to the deepest, darkest shadows. It would have to find shelter soon, for even the trees could not shade it from the sun. That blazing, bright orb of pure goodness and life. Suddenly the princess stopped and looked around. Worried of being seen, the shadowy figure instantly became one with the dark. Although it knew it could easily win in a fight with an unarmed elf. A princess no less! One who probably stuck her nose up in disgust at every gore covered blade! But it would not go against orders. And besides, it felt there was more to this princess than he could see on the outside. It watched the elf take up her morning stroll and followed her until she stopped at the edge of the small pond it had seen in the distance. Equipped with a double-edged sword, a deadly longbow, poisoned arrows, and years of experience, it stopped as well. Tanya's pursuer knew the time had come. Locking a shaft into its longbow, it quickly sent the arrow flying. Straight at Tanya's heart. 


	2. Of Poisoned Arrows

Chapter Two  
  
Tanya heard the arrow before she saw it. She dodged it quickly, and winced as the arrow cut through her dress scraping her arm. Tanya felt the warm blood oozing around the wound, but she could not stop yet! There was still something out there. She quickly scanned the surrounding shrubbery. Then she saw what she was looking for. The glint of sun of the metal tip of another arrow. Tanya dove into the pond. Looking into the pond from the surface made it appear shallow, but, in truth, it was deep enough for two elves to stand on top of each other's shoulders. Tanya cut through the water like one of the many tiny fish that swam away from her. Small bubbles escaped from her mouth as she tried to ignore the searing pain from her cut. Tanya knew that she could not stay under the water forever! However, if she surfaced she knew she would surely be killed! Just to add to her predicament, arrows began slicing through the water at odd intervals coming so close to her she thought it a wonder that she wasn't all ready dead! Judging from their angle, Tanya knew that whoever was shooting at her was still on the far side. The arrows stopped as suddenly as they had started. Weeds grabbed at her dress and hands and Tanya's limbs felt leaden. Bursts of light exploded in front of her eyes. Tanya's every elfin instinct screamed TRAP! But her brain screamed for air louder. Surfacing and gasping for air as quietly as she could, she peered through the ever-brightening gloom.  
  
'It's gone.' She thought to herself. 'Whatever it was it's gone now.'  
  
Lifting herself completely out of the water, Tanya began to ring out her sopping wet dress.  
  
'The maid will have a fit!' she chuckled to herself. 'My best dress!'  
  
Her laughing came to an abrupt halt as a twig snapped behind her back. Tanya whirled only to see a figure in a black cloak with the hood pulled all the way over his eyes. She could see its mouth though. Its lips were pulled into a fanged grin.  
  
'It's going to enjoy killing me!' Tanya thought in desperation. 'No way I'm giving him that pleasure!'  
  
Tanya whipped a dagger out from its hidden sheath and laughed at the black creature.  
  
"Everyone knows where I am!" she bluffed. "They're probably watching you right now!"  
  
The Figure laughed. A laugh of death and despair. Of realms crumbling and great Kings falling. It spoke. And its voice sounded loud as the wind howling through the trees in a midnight storm, yet soft as a drop of blood falling from a keen edged sword. It made Tanya shiver despite the warm summer air.  
  
"Nobody knows where you are fool!" it hissed! "You are all by yourself. Prepare to die."  
  
Tanya watched in horror as it pulled the bowstring taunt. She quickly weighed her options. Nowhere to run, and it would probably loose the arrow on her as soon as she tried to jump back in the water. Yet, she was not surprised that she was about to die. It was what she got for meddling in other people's business. What she got for having this secret. She regretted that she had not told someone else! Now the world as all of the elves knew it would wither and die. For she was the only thing standing in the way of nameless evils sweeping over the land as thick as swarming locusts raiding farmers crops. The world was going to be destroyed, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The 'thing' in black threw back its head in another maniacal laugh. Tanya saw its eyes. Red as the embers in a dying fire. Red as fresh blood. Screaming one violent message. 'Destroy! Burn! Kill! Evil comes! Evil will reign!'  
  
Tanya steadied her self. Staring openly at her soon-to-be murderer.  
  
'Kill me then.' she thought bitterly.  
  
"Goodbye Princess!' It cackled. But just as it preparing to fire. Tanya watched in stunned horror, and relief as the being jolted considerably. Its eyes glazed over and it fell forward. A dagger, almost unrecognizable in the mass of tangled hair and gushing blood, protruding from the back of its skull. But Tanya wasn't fast enough to dodge the arrow that came sailing towards her when the monster's dead fingers loosened their hold on the arrow locked of her. Tanya felt nothing as she sank weakly to the ground.  
  
'I guess this is what death is like.' Her last thought was, before she blacked out completely. 


	3. Fever Dreams

Tanya woke suddenly, her limbs jerking and her eyelids fluttering. She was drenched with sweat and her tongue felt swollen and useless in her parched mouth. Sunlight streamed in through an open window, causing her to wince. She sat up slowly feeling as if every muscle in her body had turned to water, and examined her surroundings. She was in a small brightly painted room. The bed she was lying in occupied one corner, and an ornate wardrobe, a washstand and a tall mirror, stood in the other three. The wall she was staring at had an arch that led out onto a tiny balcony and on the wall to her right was a stout wood door. The room was agonizingly familiar, but her mind felt dull and useless. She lay back on the bed with a sigh and closed her eyes. She couldn't remember anything after seeing her assailant fall to the ground and-  
  
With a start Tanya remembered the wound she had received. She reached for her arm and was relieved when she felt soft bandages.  
  
"I wonder if the other arrow hit me." She thought aloud.  
  
"It's a wonder it didn't and I just want to say that you're the luckiest elf I know!" Tanya knew that voice. She knew the room. She sat up and smiled as Sarah walked in the room. Sarah her best friend since-  
  
'Since forever.' Tanya thought. Her mind cleared and she knew where she was. It was one of the many rooms in the sick bay. She was home.  
  
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her friend.  
  
"We were so worried!" she went on in a breathless voice. "Worried you would never wake up! Tanya you went out alone! Alone! You know better! These times are dangerous for us. And look what you got from it! You were almost KILLED! What was it Tanya? The thing that attacked you. You shouldn't have gone out alone! Its arrows were poisoned! Strong poison. The worst the apothecary has ever seen. Why was it after you Tanya? Oh Tanya!"  
  
Sarah grabbed Tanya in another hug and Tanya could feel her friend sobbing.  
  
"I'm fine now! Really! But not if you keep squeezing me so tight!"  
  
Sarah drew back her arms and smiled in an apologetic kind of way.  
  
"Tanya! Everyone was so worried. We're just lucky he found you!"  
  
Tanya was suddenly full of curiosity.  
  
"What happened? To me I mean. After I blacked out."  
  
"I can't really tell you the whole story, because I wasn't there, but when he carried your body into the city everyone thought you were dead!"  
  
"Who's 'he'?" Tanya asked eager to know the identity of her rescuer.  
  
"No one knows!" Sarah continued. "He didn't give a name or anything. He just carried you to the apothecary and left the city. He wouldn't stay."  
  
Tanya began to feel queasy. She had an anonymous rescuer, who hadn't even stayed in the city to make sure she got better. In her position, it was enough to make her a little nervous. She had a feeling that this event would bring to light dangerous information. That couldn't happen. Her life depended on it. Sarah's life depended on it! She would have to do everything in her power to erase that day.  
  
"What's wrong Tanya?" Sarah asked noticing the worried expression on her best friends face.  
  
"Nothing!" Tanya smiled. "How long have I been asleep?" That had been a close one. She had to be careful not to let her feelings show. Sarah returned her grin. "You've been in the sick bay for five days. The arrow that gave you that wound," she motioned to Tanya's arm, "was poisoned! You're lucky that we have such a good knowledge of foreign cures, or you wouldn't be here now! Even after they gave you the medicine, there was fever. High fever! You were burning up! I had to stay by your bed all day just to keep the cloth on your forehead cool. Oh Tanya you had dreams. Fever dreams! Sometimes you would sit up screaming, but most of the time you talked. You wouldn't stop."  
  
Tanya looked at her friend horrified. "What did I say?" 


	4. Blood is Drawn

Tanya raced through the halls of Rivendell in a state of blind panic. She practically flew across the carpeted tiles ignoring, for once, the beautiful tapestries and flowers that she had always adored. Tanya skidded around a corner and had to grab hold of a pillar to stay upright. She couldn't think straight. She was confused and tired, and her head was beginning to pound with the beginnings of a horrible headache. Without warning, Tanya collided with something solid and for a split second returned her attention to the present. She had run into a servant. She barely registered the broken pitcher or the curses being thrown at her, and ran right on without an apology. The broken shards of glass tore painfully through her velvet slippers and cut the soles of her feet, yet she couldn't feel anything. She was blind, deaf, and she felt as if she tried to talk, she would discover herself mute too.  
  
'What have I done?' Tanya asked herself in horror.  
  
She kept on running and looked down at her hands where blood was already beginning to dry under her fingernails. She could taste blood. She could smell it, feel it pounding in her ears. She was drowning.  
  
Tanya burst through the door of her bedroom and flopped ungracefully onto her bed. She looked at her hands again. She felt almost surprised to see the sticky red streaks dripping down her forearms.  
  
'You killed her.' The accusing words rang sharp and painful in her head. Tanya shook her head slowly, her mouth agape. The voice came again. 'You killed Sarah.' Tanya could feel her eyes watering. 'I didn't!' she screamed at the voice inside her head, the part of her that would always be governed by logic, never emotion. 'I didn't!' But the part of her mind couldn't be tricked. 'You're hands are covered in her blood.' 'No!' Tanya didn't want to believe, but icy logic was cooling the wildfire of emotions in her head. 'I didn't kill Sarah!'  
  
"I didn't!" she screamed aloud. "Sarah!"  
  
Her hollers echoed deadly off the marble walls, and in the burning mayhem of her mind, the voice whispered. 'You did.' A maniacal laugh filled her skull, piercing down into the dark corners of her sub-consciousness. Tanya gripped her head in both hands, covering her ears, but she could still hear it! It was inside her. The laughter sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't thought it possible to fill something with such malice, but hearing the laugh inside her own head made her want to scream. It brought into her mind's eye a terrible picture of a black-cloaked figure. A thing with burning red embers for eyes.  
  
The eyes cut through the cloud of her confusion and she realized in growing horror that she had murdered her best friend. She had no recollection as to how, but she didn't intend to go back to see Sarah's body, that was assuming she hadn't hidden it or--Tanya's heart skipped a beat--worse. She knew she had done it. The blood on her hands was proof enough. Proof. The truth sank in. She was a murderer. A killer. A criminal. Not even the princess of Rivendell could get away with such an act. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even the true heir. She was merely a substitute daughter until Lord Elrond had children of his own. She was there only to make sure that if he were to die before that day came, the inheritance would belong to someone, and not be squandered by the other high ranking elves in the city. It wasn't a law, but Lord Elrond had insisted upon it when he became ruler. He had said that until he had a child, (if it was a girl he was intent on the name Arwen) he wanted to be certain "that his legacy was in good hands."  
  
The cruel irony sank in as Tanya stared at the dried blood on her hands. She got up, walked over to the wash basin, and began scrubbing the evidence off herself. When she was finally clean she lifted the heavy stone basin from the stand and emptied the pink water into the rose garden underneath her window. She had no time to lose. How long until someone found Sarah's dead body? How long until Rivendell was searched from oaken beamed top to marble tiled bottom? Tanya only took the time to grab her heavy riding cloak, and a large pouch of gold. She tried to look calm as she walked under the large main arch.  
  
There was no telling who would watch her now, and then, when the body was found, would remember how guilty she had looked. Tanya wished in desperation that she had had time to sneak some food out of the kitchen, but every second counted. Moreover, she was just waiting to hear the telltale scream of whoever discovered Sarah. She stepped calmly through the stable doors and breathed in deep. She loved the smell that always greeted her here, the sweet scent of the hay. Tanya watched dust motes float through patches of sunlight, and began walking to the other end. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. Something was wrong. The horses shied away from her and whinnied nervously when she approached. She wondered if they could smell the traces of blood on her hands, if they could sense the darkness in what she had done. At last, she reached the very last stall on her right hand side. She looked into the gloom, and her horse, Midnight stared back at her. She could feel his almond eyes boring into her, accusing her, but that was it. There was no nervousness in his eyes, and Tanya knew that he trusted her.  
  
"Can I help you miss?"  
  
Tanya had to use all her self-control to keep herself from jumping. She turned to meet the gaze of a stable-hand, a child not older than twelve. She smiled at him and he smiled back.  
  
"Saddle Midnight for me please."  
  
The boy went straight to work and Tanya could only hope that she looked calm when he handed her the reins. She gave him a coin from her purse and walked Midnight out the stable doors. She strode gracefully across the cobblestones, but as soon as she was out of the line of sight from the windows, she jumped into the worn leather saddle and galloped out of the valley. Tanya took one last look at Rivendell, her home since she was born, and remembered with horror the blankness of her mind while she knew she had been murdering her best friend. She still couldn't believe what she had done. She was incapable of murder, let alone the murder of a friend!  
  
Midnight galloped on and she remembered the horrible red eyes of the figure in black. A startling thought surfaced in the bubbling turmoil of her mind. Was it possible that someone had murdered Sarah through her? The echoes of the horrible laugh reverberated in her ears and an icy fist clenched her stomach. Something was telling her that it was indeed quite possible. 


	5. Silhouettes in Shadow

Tanya glanced around the clearing.  
  
'It will do.' She thought with a sigh.  
  
It was merely an open space within the trees, but Tanya could here a small stream gurgling close by, and there was enough foliage for Midnight. She tied the horses reins to a low-hanging branch, and she would take him to the stream later. Tanya stepped into the middle of the clearing, and the moonlight washed over her face. She was reminded of her nighttime walks in Rivendell and she felt a wave of homesickness, but it wasn't the first time she had felt it, so she pushed it into the back of her mind. She would have time for that later. She could drown herself in her feelings later, when the camp was made.  
  
Tanya took her saddle bag off Midnight and emptied its contents onto the mossy ground. She always kept the essentials in it, flint, tinder, money, and the like, the stable boy had attached her saddlebag when he had prepared Midnight for her departure. Tanya had purchased a small bow and a quiver of arrows in a tiny town she had passed through three days ago. She had done it quickly and quietly, and no one had known she was an elf. At least that's what she hoped. She had bought enough food to last her a while, but she knew that she had no idea where she was going. When she got there, she wondered if she would be able to tell.  
  
Tanya sighed again and stood up straight. She glanced into the shadows and shivered, but she walked by Midnight and gave him a reassuring pat on the nose.  
  
"I'll be right back." She whispered.  
  
Tanya stepped out of the clearing, and out of the light. The darkness closed in on her surprisingly fast and she had to resist the urge to turn around and run back. It felt alive. Tanya could almost feel it writhing around her ankles, clogging her ears and nose, making her vulnerable to the evil around her. She shook her head and trudged on, in a straight line, keeping the sound of the water on her right hand side. There was no point in getting lost. She focused her attention on her feet. Mostly because that's where most of the firewood would be, but she had a funny feeling that something was watching her. She didn't want to see what would inhabit the forest at night, so she kept her gaze away from the surrounding darkness. The shadows within shadow.  
  
When Tanya felt that she had found enough dry wood to keep a small fire fed throughout the night, she returned to the moonlit clearing. When she stepped out of the complete darkness, she was relieved, and Midnight whinnied happily when he saw her. Tanya built a small fire, and when the light came, the feeling that she was being watched left. Tanya laughed nervously. Positive that it had only been her imagination, a feeling brought on by darkness and the fact that she was a criminal.  
  
Now that she had made some light in a world of darkness she untied Midnight's reigns and headed towards the sound of the water. The trees thinned out and they emerged into a silver world. Tanya could see the stream running swiftly over a bed of smooth river rocks. It spanned maybe five paces across, and the other bank eventually turned into silver grass and disappeared into the shadowy trees. She led her horse to the waters edge and he bent down to drink. She let his reins fall and walked a short ways up the bank. Her gaze rested momentarily on a large rock on the opposite side before she also bent down. The water was cool and refreshing, and it tasted sweet. She splashed it on her face and wished she had a bar of scented soap. She glanced up to see what Midnight was doing and froze.  
  
On the large rock that she had noted seconds before, she could make out the silhouette of a crouching man. Tanya stayed still and a single question shone clear in the jumbled chaos of her mind.  
  
Had they found her? 


	6. War of Minds

Tanya was frozen. She couldn't move. The connection between her mind and her muscles had been severed. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing. She flicked her eyes over to Midnight and was relieved to see him still wading in the shallows, the moonlight gleaming off his coat. As if drawn by some invisible magnet, Tanya's gaze returned to the shadowy figure. Was it a Rivendell elf? Or just traveler, drinking from the same stream.  
  
'If it's just a traveler, he would have talked to me!' she thought, caught halfway between panic and curiosity.  
  
Shadows obscured most of the figure from view, but as Tanya's mind registered the dark cape and deep hood, it's head came up. Two blood-red eyes met her gaze and it grinned. A wide, fanged smile. Tanya's muscles were a mass of useless tissue, her limbs felt weak and the fine hair on her arms was standing straight up. Was it coming closer? She couldn't tell. All that mattered were those eyes. Crimson eyes in a face so pale not even the shadows could darken it. From far away she heard Midnight's scream. Or had she imagined it? It was definitely closer now. She could smell it. It reeked of rot and decay. Those eyes... They almost seemed to offer sanctuary. It was close enough to touch now. It emanated darkness. Thick black fabric that Tanya could feel caressing her arms. Her gaze remained locked in its fiery stare. It lifted one skeletal hand and brought it to her face. She tried to move away, she didn't want it touching her. However, she found reassurance in its stare. The hand made contact with her cheek and immediately she felt a dull sensation. It was uncomfortable, but she could barely feel it. She was falling. Falling into its eyes, its deep red eyes. She was suddenly aware of a high-pitched frequency. She stopped falling. Tanya could feel its eagerness. It's impatience. It wanted her to fall, all the way down. Suddenly, the eyes lost their hypnotic effect. She didn't want to keep falling. She began to struggle, she knew it wasn't a physical struggle. She could see herself crouched on the rocky soil. It was a mental struggle, in her mind Tanya writhed and twisted and screamed at the motionless figure that was herself. She could feel 'it' pushing her, trying to control her and she flailed even harder. Tanya couldn't find a word for the feeling she experienced, but what came to mind was 'let go.' Without ever having held onto her she felt it 'slip' and 'let go' of her. Suddenly she was back on the ground staring at the black figure. Just as suddenly, she was aware of a searing pain in her left cheek. It was on fire! Tanya had never felt anything like it before, and she was screaming. Her eyes watered as she winced and brought her hand gingerly to her face, it came back sticky and red. She heard an animal-like snarl and faced the stream again. It wasn't smiling now. Its eyes weren't deep and compassionate; they were full of surprise and anger. She stopped screaming and it lunged forward, teeth bared. Tanya's mind registered the motion quickly, as she had been taught, but she was too weak to do much of anything. She raised an arm in front of her face knowing it was no use, waiting to feel fangs on the soft flesh of her throat. But it never came. Instead, she felt a strong wind rush over her head and a loud howl of rage. She peeked over the edge of her arm expecting the worst but instead she saw a large animal. The animal was helping her; it was forcing the creature back across the stream, away from her. Tanya almost collapsed in relief, but her curiosity was stronger and she watched. Her rescuer stopped pushing as the creature emerged on the opposite bank. It was wreathed in shadow, but Tanya could see its eyes searching, scanning her side of the stream for something it couldn't see. In an amazing display of fury its head reared back and it let out an eerie, un-earthly screech. It reminded Tanya of gate hinges that had been long forgotten and left to rust. And into her mind, this scenario brought a terrible thought. A gate was opening. A gate with rusted hinges, a sign of decades of neglect. Behind the gate was something caged in. Something that wanted to get out...something evil. 


End file.
